Space / NASA
Space launches, NASA missions, SpaceX events, and major astronomical announcements.
Upcoming Events
40th Annual Small Satellite Conference (SmallSat 2026)
The 40th Small Satellite Conference runs August 23-26, 2026 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, gathering government, industry and academic smallsat professionals.
MTG-I2 Weather Satellite Launch on Ariane 6
Ariane 62 launches EUMETSAT's second Meteosat Third Generation Imager to geostationary orbit — the first GEO delivery for Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket.
Partial Lunar Eclipse — August 28
A partial lunar eclipse on August 28, 2026, visible from parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and South America.
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Launch
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center to survey the infrared universe from Sun-Earth L2.
ESA JUICE Venus Flyby
ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) performs a gravity assist flyby of Venus on its journey to Jupiter, gaining speed for arrival in July 2031.
ESA Cluster II Samba Satellite Reentry
ESA's Cluster II Samba satellite reenters Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean, observed by an airplane to collect rare reentry data. Part of the final decommissioning of the 24-year Cluster magnetosphere mission.
ESA Cluster II Tango Satellite Reentry
ESA's Cluster II Tango satellite reenters Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean roughly 24 hours after its twin Samba, concluding the landmark Cluster magnetosphere mission.
NASA SunRISE Mission Launch
NASA launches the Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE), a constellation of six CubeSats designed to study solar radio bursts and track solar energetic particle events. Launches as a rideshare on a ULA Vulcan Centaur rocket.
Progress MS-35 ISS Cargo Launch
A Soyuz-2.1a lifts off from Baikonur carrying the uncrewed Progress MS-35 freighter with supplies, propellant and science hardware for the International Space Station.
Sentinel-3C and FLEX Launch on Vega-C
A Vega-C rocket lifts off from Kourou with ESA's Sentinel-3C ocean-monitoring satellite and the FLEX mission, the first spacecraft to map plant photosynthesis from orbit.
ESA JUICE Earth Gravity Assist Flyby
ESA JUICE spacecraft performs an Earth gravity assist flyby on its journey to Jupiter, gaining velocity for its 2031 arrival at the Jupiter system to study ocean-bearing icy moons.
Glenn Space Technology Symposium 2026
The American Astronautical Society's Glenn Space Technology Symposium kicks off Ohio Space Week with sessions on exploration architecture, lunar bases and space nuclear power.
27th Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference
The premier technical conference on space situational awareness and space domain awareness, drawing over 1,000 scientists and space experts to Maui.
NASA SpaceX Crew-13 ISS Launch
The 13th crew rotation mission under NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Astronauts Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney (NASA), Joshua Kutryk (CSA), and Sergey Teteryatnikov (Roscosmos) launch aboard SpaceX Dragon to the ISS for Expedition 75.
September Equinox 2026 — Autumn Equinox
The September equinox marks the official start of astronomical autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Day and night are approximately equal length worldwide. The Sun crosses the celestial equator moving southward at 00:06 UTC.
Harvest Moon — September 2026
The full Moon nearest the September equinox, traditionally known as the Harvest Moon. Full phase occurs at 16:50 UTC.
Neptune at Opposition
Neptune reaches opposition on September 26, appearing at its brightest and closest to Earth for the year. While too faint for the naked eye, it will be visible through binoculars or a telescope in the constellation Pisces.
Saturn at Opposition
Saturn reaches opposition, appearing at its brightest and closest to Earth for the year. The ringed planet will be visible all night, rising at sunset and setting at sunrise — ideal for telescope viewing.
World Space Week 2026 — Rocket Revolution
The UN-declared World Space Week runs October 4-10, 2026 with the theme Rocket Revolution, marking Sputnik 1 and the Outer Space Treaty with events worldwide.
77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026)
The world's largest space industry gathering takes place October 5-9, 2026 at the NEST Convention Centre in Antalya, Türkiye, under the theme The World Needs More Space.